…But at least so far, this isn’t because the Yankees have made a deadline-day deal.

The Yankees announced a slew of moves today that fundamentally change the RailRiders as they head into the final full month of the regular season competing for the International League North Division title.

There was plenty to talk about after the RailRiders returned home Friday and systematically dismantled a very solid Norfolk team, 7-0, but there’s really only one place to start.

It’s with Bryan Mitchell. It’s with eight two-hit, shutout innings. It’s with not allowing a single Norfolk runner — not that there were many to being with (just four) — to reach second base. And one of the hits he allowed was just a bloop that happened to fall in. It’s with one of the best pitching performances in the RailRiders era, and maybe the franchise’s history.

“That was probably my best one ever, honestly, ” Mitchell said afterward. “I was putting pitches in the zone and they were swinging early. Luckily, they were hitting a lot of groundballs. We were able to take advantage of that.”

Don’t look now, but the RailRiders are in second place in the IL North and just 1 1/2 games out of the lead. If they were any better at home, they might be in first place. They’re 14-7 away from PNC Field, and 11-16 at home. How that happens is anybody’s guess. But this has the feel of a key six-game homestand that starts tonight.

That’s because, as our good friend Josh Norris of Baseball America reported this morning, the Yankees are promoting their top pitching prospect — and, perhaps, their top prospect overall — to the RailRiders.

With that formality out of the way, it’s clear that Severino will make his Triple-A debut at some point before the RailRiders leave PNC Field following their afternoon contest against Pawtucket on Wednesday. We know it won’t happen before Sunday, because he last pitched for Trenton on Tuesday. What we don’t know is exactly when that will happen, and we won’t until tomorrow (unless the team announces it sooner, and that’s not likely, because they are off today).

Masahiro Tanaka didn’t have much to say last night. Frankly, I’ve seen so many of them at this point, I can practically recite the old post-rehab-appearance press conference pretty well now.

- No pain.

- Felt like I did everything I wanted.

- Have to wait until I see how I feel when I wake up tomorrow.

- Next step is up to the big club.

The Yankees’ ace right-hander said all of that, and pretty much nothing else after his three shutout innings Thursday night at PNC Field. In his defense, what else was he going to say? There just wasn’t much to ask, wasn’t much information to glean outside of what was patently obvious.

But that’s why, on a night like this, Austin Romine is always a great person to speak with. He’s an insightful guy, no matter who is throwing the pitches to him. He will see a side of Masahiro Tanaka that, maybe, Masahiro Tanaka can’t see.

- Big story is Masahiro Tanaka. He’s throwing three innings or 45 pitches, whichever comes first. He was in the clubhouse earlier sitting at his locker, pounding a baseball into his mitt. It went on for a while.

- But, that’s not the only big story. Mason Williams was promoted from Double-A Trenton to the RailRiders, and he’s leading off tonight, playing center field. Williams was off to a fast start with the Thunder, literally. He was hitting .317 with a .407 OBP and 11 steals.

- No Kyle Roller in the lineup today. Scheduled day off.

- One other move made pregame: The RailRiders basically swapped left-handers with Trenton. Eric Wooten is back up here. Miguel Sulbaran is down to Double-A.

-And the winner of the “Who will get promoted to replace Slade Heathcott” derby is…nobody. At least not yet. It appears as if the RailRiders are going to play a man short this morning, unless there is a player on the way. But my guess is that the move, whatever it is, won’t be made until after this game.

-I was told Aaron Judge was going to be in the Trenton lineup today. Still waiting for official word, but obviously, that would preclude him from being in a car and on his way to PNC Field this morning.

UPDATE, 9:50: Yep, Judge in the Trenton lineup. So is Eric Jagielo.

Judge and Jagielo both in the lineup today after missing last night #yankees

Baseball isn't limited to box scores and game stories, and neither is baseball news. Stay in the know with insight, breaking news and other RailRiders nuggets from Times-Tribune beat writer Donnie Collins. He'll check in regularly with transactions, game-day information and more than a few opinions.